Providing better grounds, training facilities, and coaching staff will obviously help a league to improve. However, I believe the main problem with NCL is that its structure is inherently flawed.
Payscale & Selection: Ram-Sham-Jodu-Modu all get same pay in NCL. Playing well in a season does not mean you will get a higher pay or offer from a better team next season. It's good enough to be a mediocre player to ensure you will get to play for your divisional side seasons after seasons and keep getting paid like everyone else.
Organization: Someone already mentioned we need autonomous regional sports bodies to create a competitive league. Unfortunately our regional sports bodies are too corrupt and inept to trust them to go autonomous.
Finance: Regional sports bodies can't generate revenues of their own or get sponsors, which also has do with lack of strong organization.
Talent Scouting: Divisional teams don't have their own scouts, they just pick players from Dhaka clubs and BKSP.
Team Integrity: Veterans like Akram and Bulbul accused that players in NCL play as individuals, not as teams. IMO, making the players play for two different teams (in NCL and in Dhaka league) hampers them from growing as teams.
Followers: There were reports that people of Rajshahi were cheering for Ashraful even when he was playing against their own team. NCL teams have no loyal fan base. Followers of NCL (including I) follow the league to see how their favorite players are doing, and care very little about any particular team.
IMO, the way forward for FC cricket in Bangladesh is not NCL, but to create a FC league involving top Dhaka clubs i.e. something like proposed CCDM cup. Dhaka clubs are the only strong autonomous sports bodies in Bangladesh who I believe can support professional FC teams on their own. Dhaka clubs are corrupt too, still much more efficient than regional sports bodies are.
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